Game apparatus



T. L. ISAZA GAME APPARATUS Dec. 19, 1933.

Filed Feb. 7, 1935 3mm/vio@ Tuuo LOPEZ sAzA Patented Dec. 19, `1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

ed to be disposed in varying positions along the length of the -playing surface to thereby vary the difficulty of play and to add interest to the game.

It is a further object of the invention to construct an apparatus of the character above indicated in a Way which will lend itself to the pro-v duction of thedevice at very low cost.

It is a further object of the invention to'provide an apparatus of this nature so constructed that it will be'easily portable. l

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view oi an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a view partly inside elevation andI partly in section on line `3--73 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional View on line;

5-5 of Fig. 2.

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view on lin 6-6 of Fig. 2 and f Figure 7 is a transverse lsectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. 2.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

In the particular embodiment of the invention which I have shown for purpose of illustration, the numerals 5 designate main frame members or supports which taper from the upper or head end of the apparatus to the lower end thereof. These members 5 are cut out, as indicated at 6, adjacent their head ends and they have disposed between them a transverse support or lower deck 8. Disposed upon the top of the frame members 5 is an upper deck 9 which extends` from the foot of the apparatus nearly to thehead of the same. This deck has a plurality of holes formed therethrough which holes may be given' numbers of any desired value. Y

In the particular form shown, the uppermost and central hole is numbered 3, the next two lower holes 2y and the lowermost holes l; these latter holes being formed partly in the deck and partly in ears 9a which extend laterally from the deck. 50

By this arrangement, I am able to dispose these latter holes Well out toward the side of the apparatus while at the same time I can keep the deck relatively narrow and provide for the alleys 10 which vextend longitudinally'along each sidev65 of the apparatus and are formed by bottom strips 11 and side strips 12. The head or upper ends of the members 5, -8, 11 and 12 are connected to a head wall 13. Disposed between deck 9 and the transverse support 8 is a V-shaped deector 70 14, said deilector being disposed just rearwardly of the holes of the deck so that when the `balls fall through said holesthey are deflected in one direction or the other and will roll down the corresponding alley to the foot of the apparatus 7,5

' where they are stopped by the end walls 15 of the alleys.

' The defiector 14 acts to deflect the balls laterally through the ycut out portions 6 of the main frame members 5 and into the alleys. At a plu- 80 rality of points in its length, the structure is provided with notches 1'7 adapted to receive a bridge 18 which constitutes ahazard and increases the diflculty of play in accordance with predetermine'd rules; said bridge being shiftable to any 85 of the transverse lines 19, and said lines being given anyk arbitrary numbers that may be desired, `the` resultant play counting higher or lower according to the position of the .bridge at the time of play and in accordance with a schedule` determined upon bythe players in advance. It will be observed that the upper deck -9 is relatively narrow and that its edges are unprotected `by any portions projecting thereabove.

It will further be observed that the outermost openings numbered 1 of the series of openings at the head of the deck, lie at least, in part, outwardly of the line of the edge of the deck. This arrangement greatly adds to the skill required to successfully place the balls in the openings 1; it-,lOO

being apparent that if the player rolls the ballsi` which constitute the inner side of the alleys also constitute supports for the apparatus, I wish it to be understood that the device may be made in other ways and of many different kinds of material.

'I'he different pieces used in the construction, the width and depth of the grooves, width of the deck, diameter of the holes, may be of any desired'dlm'ensions. The deck can'be plain -or it can becovered with cloth or othermaterial With the object of putting more or less resistance upon the sliding of the ball, or as ornamentation.

The device may be constructed of wood, 'c'ement, metal or any other material, or a combination of the same. It may be cast ina "single piece or may be made of demountable'parts-for its easy packing for transportation. The size of the apparatus will vary betweenlh'alf ameter or less and five meters or more. The'apparatuses of very small size, although they do not offer the Aeater-else that the 'larger ones do, provide,-never theless, 'an'entertaining gaine of the wrist `which m'ayibe played ona table.

Th'ecombinatio'ns f the plays are at the pleasure or caprice of the players, with the end of f-prolonging o`r shortening the v`iinal outcome of a `-Set, as -for"e`x'ample, each'player adding up ythe I'numberofflioles"in 'which'the ball has fallen'in agiven numbercf strokes and discountingfrorn lthe 'total a 'unit for l'each 'bad stroke, kthat is to A`say, lforfeachstroke 'in vwhich the ballhas not l'passed Athrough Lthe 'removable bridge or has "struck'against it. The'strokes can lbegivenin this casealternately'by the players. Insuch a 'combination'the player lWins who lhas obtained ithe ilargest total of `good -units `or least totalof bad units `in 4the fnumber of strokes l`given.

The 'transverse Vlines marked'V on the deck and 'which indicate where 'the removable bridge fshould be lplaced, 'are lnumbered lwith a zero, kas 'said before, Which'indicates'thatthe value of'the play which does not pass the ball through 'the lagr'eedlineis a unit as in th'ecombination indicatedin the lpreviousfparagraph. A'It is vpossible also not to give Ait any value. The zeros `serve v'also to indicate, between two players one `of 'whom Ais Adextrous or clever and th'e kother a vnovice, to lwhat lpoint the 'bad strokes "of leach come, kit Lbeing possible thus -t'o equalize ttheir Phandicaps "so Athat Ano one 'will rhesitate to pair 'up witharlother. As the-'bridge isfplaced higher, it becomes `more diflicult to niake the hball fall into the holes and, in consequence, `a clever :player can'concede *to-a novice on'eormorefzeros advantage. I

rHaving described Lmy invention, "what 'I 'claim is: l

l. Game apparatus of the character 'described comprising in combina-tion a relativelyl long vand narrow upper deck presenting laterally unprotected edges throughout its length so that a ball or like game piece may roll freely therefrom, alleys extending along the opposite sides of said deck, a lower deck spaced from the upper deck and extending beyond the upper end of the upper deck, a head wall at the upper end of the lower deck which lies in spaced relation to ythe upper end of the upper deck, said upper deck beingdispos'ed at an upward inclination away from the player, and a plurality of openings at the upper end of the upper deck and "'ertending therethrough, at least a part of some of -said openings being disposed outwardly of the line of the edge of said upper deck and at opposite f sides thereof.

2. A structure as recited. in claim 1 in combi- `riat'io'nvith'a deector of inverted V-shape disposed gvbetween the upper and lower decks and serving to direct balls which fall into the space between said ndecks Ilaterally outward into'rsaid alleys.

3. `A structure as recited in claim 1 in combinatioirwith'a bridge of-inverted VU-Shap'e'a'jclapted to spant-the upper deck, the side edges'of said upperdeck being'provided with verticalfnotches iat a plurality of-pointsin'its lengthinto which ythe/legs of sai'dtbridgert.

4. Gamefapp'arat'us 'of'the character described comprising a pair of longitudinally extending supporting members of wedge shapetothereby Support the head end ofthe game apparatus at an elevation,*a lower deck upon'lsaid supporting dmembers, an upper deck upon saidfs'u'pporting NAmembers in spaced relation to the lower'deck, 'a-he'a'd wall at the upper end of the supporting lmembers, said vupper 'deck terminating'short of said head wall, a y'deflecto'rof inverted "V-shape disposed centrally between 'the yupper and 'lower decks at la `point adjacent the upper .en'd of the upper deck, membersaline'd'wth thelower deck and disposed outwardly of 'said "supporting inembers to constitute alley bottoms, vertical inembers outwardly of the alley bottoms and secured thereto and constitutlng'alley'sdes which ylie in spaced relation tothe outer edges ofthe upper deckftheedg'es of said upperrdeck being laterally unprotected, openingsforrned through the upper deck at `a 4point labove the Alocation of the deflector to vperinitb'alls toffallthroug'h said'upper deck into the Vspace between the upperiand-lower ldecks and to be deflected laterally bythe Ideiiector tinto the alleys, *said lupper :decks comprising lateral extensions overlying lthe said alleys and within which y'portions of at least some of said openings are formed, as and for the purposes set forth.

TULIO LOPEZ I'sA'zA. 

